The third African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) will take place in Abuja, Nigeria from July 10 to 12, 2014. According to the Secretariat of AfIGF at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Forum will discuss critical issues of relevance and concern to the continent as part of a global 10-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+10). The Forum is targeted at considering and adopting efficient ways to improve internet services and internet access in the continent and will also make recommendations for consideration and adoption by African governments and other stake-holders.

The ECA is the host of the Secretariat of the African Internet Governance Forum with the African Union Commission as a member. The ECA has been playing a leading role in the development of an Information Society in Africa, a critical component of which is enhancing Africa’s participation in the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) consultations in order to ensure that Africa’s voice is heard on these very important issues.

The Internet Governance Forum is one of the major outcomes of the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society. The African Internet Governance space was very active in the lead up to the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in 2005 and became even more so after the Summit.

Egypt hosted the first AfIGF from October 2 to 4, 2012 and Kenya hosted the second from September 23 to 26, 2013.